Flume or culvert.



\ A. REUTERDAHL. FLUME 0R GULVERT.

APPLICATION FILED APR.8. 1911. 1,010,074, Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

. l u III s s. v A J P n m w STAT ARVID REUTERDAHL, OF BOISE, IDAHO.

FLUlVIE 0R CULVERT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARVID REUTERDAHL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boise, in the county of Ada and State of Idaho, have invented a new and useful Flume or Culvert, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in flumes or culverts and more particularly to flumes or culverts made in sections and constructed of such material as either iron or steel or other suitable metal.

The objects of my improvement are first, to provide a flume or culvert free from internal structural or mechanical obstructions to the flow of water, thus reducing the coeificient of roughness to a mimimum and consequently increasing the quantity of water discharged in a unit of time; second, to provide simple structural means for positively connecting the sections of the fiume or culvert in the field without resorting to the use of rivets; and, third, to provide simple and suitable means of taking care of the expansion and contraction which inevitably occurs in metallic flumes and culverts when subjected to changes of temperature. I attain these objects by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the assembled and connected flume, sections supported by a trestle substructure; Fig. 2, an end view of the supported fiume; Fig. 1, a plan view of the metal rod used to connect the sections of the flume or culvert; Fig. 3, an end view of this rod; Fig. 6, an elevation of the rod, shown in plan View in Fig. 4; Fig. 5, a vertical section of the rod on the line 11, Fig. 6; Fig. 7, a vertical section of the rod on the line 22, Fig. 6; Fig. 9, shows in side elevation another type of rod not provided with perforations and having a different type of cross-section; Fig. 8, a vertical section of rod shown in Fig. 9; Fig. 10, an enlarged detail of a portion of Fig. 2, showing the method of supporting and attaching the flume to the trestle substructure; Fig. 11, a bottom view of a portion of the flunie showing the method of connecting adjoining flume sections by means of a supporting and connecting rod; Fig. 12, a side elevation showing manner of connecting fiume sections; Fig. 13 a partial plan view of a flat metal sheet before being formed into either a fiume or a culvert; Fig. 14, a partial Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 8, 1911.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

Serial No. 619,823.

vertical section along a longitudinal plane parallel to the longitudinal center line of the flume.

Similar letters refer to similar throughout the several views.

The supporting frame work or substructure shown in Fig. 2 is provided with a cross-bar 0 through which the hole It is bored as shown also in Fig. 10. The connecting rod 7) passes upward through hole It in the cross-bar c.

The connecting rod 1) is threaded at its two extreme ends and passes through the washer e (Fig. 10) engaging the nut d. By properly turning the nut 61 tension is exerted on the rod 7) thus forcing the flanges of the fiume more firmly into the groove 8 provided (Figs. 4, 6 and 8) in the rod 6.

The fiat metal sheet, preferably of galvanized iron or steel, shown in Fig. 18, is bent at right angles to its original plane along the lines 3-3, and l4l, thus producing flanges after the sheet is formed into a semicircular, circular, or othersuitable shape. The method or. manner of producing these flanges or of forming the sheets is not a part of this invention.

In Fig. 14: the flume or culvert sheet is shown with its flanges at right angles to its main section a, entering the groove or slot in the circular rod Z).

The fiume sheet shown in Fig. 13 is provided with teeth or denticles m which in turn are provided with lugs 17. which face in opposite directions along the two parallel edges of the sheet. Consequently, when the formed sheets are abutted in erecting the flume the denticles we will coincide but the lugs a will extend in opposite directions beyond the main surface of the denticles m.

The denticles m are made to pass through the perforations 7) in the rod 6, shown in the various views. The lugs n can then readily be forced, by a blow from a hammer, outward from the center line of rod 17 and in opposite directions as shown clearly in Fig. 11. In this manner the two abutting sheets a are securely and readily fastened to each other and to the supporting and connecting rod 6 without the use of any extraneous rivets or other similar means. This work can be readily done in the field without complicated equipment.

I prefer to use a rod having a circular cross-section and provided with both grooves and perforations as shown in Figs. 3 to 7 parts inclusive, nevertheless the circular type of cross-section is not essential to this invention. Furthermore, the perforations are not an absolute necessity, although I prefer rods provided with perforations.

It is evident that a rod of any suitable cross-section and provided with simply a groove 8 without perforations p as shown in Figs. 8 and 9 will serve to properly connect abutting flume Sections by holding and retaining the flanges thereof within said groove.

The perforations p are preferably made larger than the width of the denticles m in order that they may readily pass through said perforations.

The particular form of the denticles m shown herewith is not essential to the prin ciple of this invention. Hence the denticles on may be made in numerous and varied forms and still provide eflicient means for firmly securing the sections to each other by means of the connecting rod. No matter what may be the particular form of the denticles m they can still be effective in securing and uniting the sections for the reason that a mere twist of two coincident denticles or a separation and spreading of said denticles will tend to firmly secure abutting sections to each other and to the connecting rod.

The separating medium 70 shown clearly in Fig. 14, consist preferably of a flexible substance such as felt, asbestos, pitch, tar, or any other suitable substance. This separating medium L" allows adjoining sheets a to come into closer proximity or to recede from each other as said sheets expand or contract with changes in temperature.

The place of junction of the two abutting sheets a to the separating medium L" can be made waterproof by treatment with some suitable waterproofing paint as asphaltum paint. or other suitable compound. By this means the interior surface of the flume can also be made smooth and free from any in-- dentations due to discrepancies produced by careless joining of sections.

The block 7 shown in Fig. 10, made of any suitable material as wood or metal and of any suitable form, may be attached in any suitable manner to the cross-bar 0 of the trestle substructure.

The purpose of this block f is to prevent the flume sheets from springing inward when tension is applied to the rod 6.

It is evident that a rod of circular crosssection is preferable because a thread can readily be cut at its extreme ends where said rod engages the tension nuts.

The device shown herewith lends itself readily to either semicircular or circular flume or culvert construction. In the case of a circular flume or culvert it is merely necessary to provide a suitable means to connect the two free ends of the connecting rod. Such suitable means may consist of a turnbuckle or other similar device; or the ends of the rod may be simply twisted together.

I am aware that prior to my invention flume and culvert sections have been joined by resorting to the use of interior and exterior rods acting in conjunction. I there from two opposite edges, with a connecting rod having a longitudinal groove or slot provided with perforations, said groove or slot engaging and containing said flanges, and said perforations engaging and containing said teeth or denticles, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a flume or culvert of a suitably formed sheet having flanges extending at an angle therefrom, with a connecting and supporting rod having a longitudinal groove or slot therein, engaging and containing said flanges, together with a suitable separating medium providing for expansion and contraction, all substantially as set forth.

4. In a flume or culvert, the combination of a suitably formed sheet having flanges extending at an angle therefrom, said flanges having teeth or denticles projecting from two opposite edges, with a connecting rod having a longitudinal groove or slot provided with perforations, said groove or slot engaging and containing said flanges, and said perforations engaging and containing said teeth or denticles, together with a suit able separating medium providing for expansion and contraction, substantially as described.

ARVID REUTERDAI-IL. Vitnesses RAYMOND L. GIVENs, PAUL R. DEMPSEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing'the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

